Prospects To Watch In 2024-2025

After going through film from last season of teams and prospects I wanted to get a refresher on, I found seven prospects that I want our audience and college coaches to know about. These seven are ones to watch because they could be more unknown commodities than they should be, or they are poised to breakout in the 2024-2025 season. This involved a lot of film watching, and I was somewhat particular in who I wanted to include in the article. You'll also notice I purposely spotlighted some prospects on the western side of the state.    I was able to find some film on Gylten from early in the season last year, and WOW do I like the point guard out of St. Thomas More even more. A ridiculous feel for the game and makes everything about the game look so easy. ELITE court vision, passing, and IQ. I can't wait to see what he looks like with his new 6'3” length. He translates to a true point guard with positional length at the next level. I think he can prove to be a top 2-5 prospect in the 2026 class. We'll have some early updates on him as the season gets underway, as I plan to see him live as well.     Buehler is an explosive and skilled scoring point guard for Hill City out west. Has quick handles to create space for himself as a scorer and playmaking passer. He is deadly as a shotmaker in the midrange area and from three. Can go off the dribble and pull up on a dime. A really good athlete that can hang in the air. I think his stock could be up and could be considered a top 40-45 prospect in the South Dakota 2025 class.     Another Hill City guard, Messick is one of the most explosive and bouncy small guards in the state. He's highly explosive with the ball in the open and taking it at the hoop. He plays off the ball with Buehler handling the ball for Hill City, but can bring the ball up himself and operate as well. He's all gas out on the court and lays it all on the line, diving for loose balls and getting on the floor. He's looking to pull from three and is aggressive from there. He can make highlight reel passes for dimes. Twitchy athlete that is well conditioned.     After watching Bridgewater-Emery film, it's clear that we're slightly too low on Wollman in terms of his ranking. He was the starting point guard for the varsity squad as a Sophomore. A true point guard that doesn't get sped up and will control the pace of the game and run the offense and play-call. A pass-first PG that is also a scrappy off-ball defender. Great team defender that is in help position. On the ball, he plays off a little and will keep the ball in front. Has a nice handle on the ball, but will only show it off if it's necessary to create space to pass or drive. He's a set shooter from three, looking to line up his shot. Takes good shots and picks his times to attack. Shows some sneaky athleticism at the rim. He could potentially be a top 60-70 prospect in the 2026 class.     I discovered at the Northern State team camp that Mobridge-Pollock was getting a really nice addition to its team with a transfer from Bennett County in guard [player_tooltip player_id='2362037' first='Shooter' last='Frederick']. Frederick was a starter and key piece as a Freshman on a young Bennett County team that went 3-18. I think he'll really help Mobridge-Pollock this upcoming season with his solid length, movement, and lethal three-point shooting from the 2-guard spot. He's a smooth-moving athlete on the court, moving well in all directions. Solid skills, lengthy arms, and a major floor stretcher from range. He most certainly makes Mobridge-Pollock a better and more complete team.     Lowe is a point guard that will need a sizeable bump up in the 2025 rankings. Good length and extremely long arms for a 6'1” guard. Uses those long arms defensively by fully extending them when defending both on and off ball. He also has a skilled offensive game that might be going under the radar. One of the top passing point guards in the state, in my opinion. Sees the floor at an extremely high level and can make zip passes in tight windows for open teammates. Can make passes overtop long defensive arms with precision and touch as well. He will pick apart a zone defense via pass. I see a complete point guard in Lowe, with no deficiencies in him translating to the next level. With his legitimate passing prowess and vision, he handles the ball cleanly under pressure, has a smooth three-ball game with extended range, and can get into the lane with a float game. He's a next level point guard, and after seeing him more extensively, he may land in the top 40 overall in the next SD 2025 rankings update.     Custer essentially starts two point guards with Lowe and Lehman, with Lehman more of an off-ball three-point shooting role. He'll handle the rock when Lowe is resting. Lehman will need to be bumped up significantly as well, and I think Custer's backcourt could be considered for roster spots on NAIA college programs in the region. Lehman plays fast and gives out a bunch of energy, and will pick up and defend full court with extremely quick and agile feet. He makes life difficult for the opponent bringing the ball up the court. If he gets beat, he can quickly recover and get back in position. Very scrappy and will dig for the ball and go for plays on the ball. On the offensive side, when he's paired with Lowe on the court, he likes to space the floor and be a catch and shoot threat from three. Very valuable to what Custer does as a team.

After going through film from last season of teams and prospects I wanted to get a refresher on, I found seven prospects that I want our audience and college coaches to know about. These seven are ones to watch because they could be more unknown commodities than they should be, or they are poised to breakout in the 2024-2025 season. This involved a lot of film watching, and I was somewhat particular in who I wanted to include in the article. You'll also notice I purposely spotlighted some prospects on the western side of the state.